How time flies! Amazingly, it is 17 years to the day since West Ham signed James Collins from Cardiff City.
The defender joined the club in 2005 alongside fellow Wales international Danny Gabbidon, in a deal worth £3.5m for the pair.
Collins went on to become a hero in east London, making 224 appearances in all competitions across two spells, scoring nine goals, before eventually being released in 2018.
‘Ginger Pele’ was initially sold to Aston Villa in 2009 but rejoined the club in 2012, which eventually led to him developing cult status with the Hammers faithful.
And the main man took to Instagram to mark the anniversary earlier today, describing his career at West Ham as the “best days of my life.”
You can see Collins’ Instagram post below…
View this post on Instagram
